Geopolitical Catch-all

[treco]

@Bismark @smh_23
Are either of these in your wheelhouse? Obviously ask smh already, just wanted to include him

@smh_23

@treco

Edit Would like more in depth reading on 2 areas if you would direct - Movement of SA-23 into Syria and also anything about Afghanistan shadow military ie on US payroll but non existent in reality Thanks

Nothing comes to mind in either case, I’m sorry to say. I read just what you did about the Gladiator ABMS – Fox picked it up from a US intel source. A message to the West in the wake of the formal dissolution of talks. But it’s entirely possible that he could be assuming he’ll need them. Yesterday a member of Putin’s inner circle alluded to the possibility of imminent nuclear war. We said today we’d punish the Russians for hacking. I expect more confrontation on every front in the next few months, including by way of proxies in Syria. The more we grind ISIS down, the more comfortable we will be threatening Assad’s goons.

As for the Afghan military collecting money from us for phantom personnel, this is the first I’ve heard of it. There was a similar story about the state police force a while back. Yet another example of the infinite opportunities for enrichment presented by war to people who otherwise would spend their time watching livestock roll around in dust.